Larsen, Perna and Fullman crowned as conference champions

Point Beach’s Kerry Perna.
cleared a personal best [5'2"] to win her first indoor conference title at the Shore Conference Championships inside the John Bennett Sports Complex in Toms River on Friday, Jan. 25.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS | THE OCEAN STAR]

TOMS RIVER — There are now two conference champions in Point Pleasant.

Point Boro senior Riley Larsen tied her personal indoor record of 11 feet 6 inches to repeat as champion at the Shore Conference Championships inside the John Bennett Sports Complex in Toms River on Friday, Jan. 25. In the high jump, Point Beach junior Kerry Perna earned a personal best, 5 feet 2 inches, to win her first indoor conference title.

Brick Memorial sophomore Noel Fullman also won her first individual conference championship, clocking 8.59 in the 55 meter hurdles final.

Friday night was deja vu for Larsen, who battled against Matawan’s Mue Carroll as the final two vaulters. The two went head-to-head as they did a year ago.

Carroll did not vault over 11 feet and Larsen continued to jump, clearing 11 feet 6 inches, but failed her next three attempts at 11 feet 9 inches.

“It feels good to show that my hard work is paying off,” Larsen said.

Perna made the high jump look easy, leaving plenty of room between her and the bar in her earlier jumps. She jumped an indoor personal record to win the title, two inches higher than she jumped last season, when she placed fourth [5’0″] in the conference.

After Fullman placed first [8.72] in the preliminary rounds, she ran even faster in the final by beating Middletown North’s Katelyn Reid [8.69].

All three athletes will continue the seasons at their respective sectional championships.

This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.